News

02 Aug 2017

Regarding information published by “Air Astana” airline on Tengrinews.kz Internet portal on July 31, 2017 about bird strike with aircraft A321 during takeoff at the international airport of Almaty, which performed flight КС 859 on the route Almaty – Aktau we report the following:

The aircraft A-321 (A/C number P4-NAS) carried out a take-off from Almaty International Airport on on July 30, 2017 at 22 hours and 25 minutes with 128 passengers onboard. At 23 hours 02 minutes dispatcher of the airport of Almaty received information about the return of the aircraft due to the fact that the aircraft commander heard a noise in the area of the cockpit and suggested that it was a bird strike.
At 23 hours 34 minutes the aircraft A-321 (A/C number P4-NAS) landed at the airport of Almaty, after that there was inspection carried out by results of which the inspection certificate was drawn up: there were not found any traces of bird strike and damage to the aircraft. It was given a permit for the further operation of the aircraft without restrictions.
According to the regulations, this event was not classified as an aircraft incident and at 00 hours 56 minutes on July 31, 2017 the aircraft carried off in the airport of Almaty.
We are of the view that the “Air Astana” airline’s statement about the birds strike with the aircraft A-321 (A/C number P4-NAS) at the International airport of the city of Almaty is vastly premature. In the airport each case of collision of aircraft with birds is investigated thoroughly because the aircraft gets some damage.
Moreover, according to the document No. 9137 An.898 paragraph 10.3. of ICAO, bird strike is considered as the event that occurred at the airport, if it occurred at the height up to 150 meters at the runway heading and 60 meters at the landing track. The crew of flight of KC 859 informed on possible collision with a bird 37 minutes later after takeoff, when the plane was already at the flight level, outside the airport zone.
JSC "almaty international airport" on a regular basis produces a full range of activities for the ornithological support of flights in the above-stated zone and similar statements of airlines can be made only on the results of the detailed investigation.